‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 Teaser Trailer Released by HBO

House of the Dragon may have just ended, but HBO has plenty of other exciting titles up its sleeve. A two-minute sizzle real released just before the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale Sunday night gave fins a glimpse at the popular titles set to premiere in 2024 and 2025, including the first teaser trailer for The Last of Us Season 2.

After Season 1 — based on the video game The Last of Us — ended with Joel (Pedro Pascal) saving Ellie (Bella Ramsey) from the Fireflies, Season 2 is expected to return in 2025 and focus on the events of The Last of Us Part II. Further details of the season remain unclear, but the brief teaser, released just a few months after HBO in May dropped first-look images of Joel and Ellie, hinted at an emotional seven-episode run as Joel spoke with Catherine O’Hara’s unnamed character, who asked, “Did you hurt her? Then what? What did you do?” After glimpses at newcomer Isabela Merced as Dina, Jeffrey Wright as Isaac, and Gabriel Luna as Tommy, the trailer then cuts back to an emotional Joel, who says, “I saved her.”

In addition to Pedro, Ramsey and Luna, Season 2 will star Merced (Turtles All the Way Down), Wright (American Fiction) and O’Hara in a currently undisclosed role. Newcomer Kaitlyn Dever (No One Will Save You) is set to star as Abby, a revenge-seeking soldier, with the cast also featuring Young Mazino (Beef) as Jesse, Danny Ramirez (Top Gun: Maverick) as Washington Liberation Front member Manny, Ariela Barer (Runaways) as doctor Mel, Tati Gabrielle (You) as military medic Nora, and Spencer Lord (The Good Doctor) as WLF member Owen. O’Hara’s character largely remains a mystery, though the trailer seems to hint that she may be a therapist of sorts.

The Last of Us is based on Naughty Dog’s award-winning video game of the same name. Set 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed by a mass fungal infection caused by a mutation in the genus Cordyceps, turning humans into cannibalistic creatures, the series centers around Joel and Ellie. A hardened survivor, Joel is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone, but what begins as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey.

A co-production with Sony Pictures Television, The Last of Us is written and executive produced by Craig Mazin and Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann. Carolyn Strauss, Jacqueline Lesko, Cecil O’Connor, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Evan Wells also executive produce. Season 2 is expected to première in 2025.